Hawaii and New Jersey Stand Alongside Many US Destinations as America’s Happiest States for Wellbeing and Travel

Written By: Ankita Neogi Khan

Ankita Neogi Khan

With over 15 years of experience in digital media, I bring a strong foundation in language, journalism, and storytelling to travel reporting. A graduate in English (Honours) from Presidency College with a Master's in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Calcutta, I began my career as a content curator before transitioning into travel journalism. I specialise in aviation, tourism trends, destination news, and industry insights, combining meticulous research, accuracy, and compelling storytelling to deliver credible, engaging, and insightful content for a global audience.

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September 11, 2026 11:08 GMT+5:30

Hawaii has emerged as the happiest state in America, according to WalletHub’s latest annual assessment. The result strengthens its position as a compelling destination for travellers seeking wellness, nature, leisure and restorative experiences. WalletHub compared all 50 states across 30 happiness indicators, including health, depression, economic security, work conditions, relationships and leisure.

New Jersey delivered the biggest surprise by taking second place. Utah, Idaho and Maryland completed the top five. For travel planners, the ranking offers a useful lens beyond conventional destination awards. It highlights places where quality of life, outdoor access, wellbeing and community intersect with visitor appeal. Hawaii also generated $21.75 billion in visitor spending during 2025, despite slightly fewer arrivals.

Why Hawaii’s Result Matters for Travel

Hawaii’s first-place ranking is hardly difficult to imagine. Beaches, volcanic landscapes and year-round outdoor recreation already give the islands enormous tourism appeal. Yet the latest result adds a more measurable dimension to that familiar holiday image.

WalletHub placed Hawaii first after assessing emotional and physical wellbeing, work environment, and community and environmental conditions. Residents reported the country’s highest life satisfaction, alongside the second-lowest depression rate. The state also recorded the highest US life expectancy.

Around 84% of Hawaiian adults report being in good health, according to the figures cited in the latest report. Nearly 72% also report being active and productive each day. Those indicators matter to travel because they reinforce a broader shift towards holidays built around health, nature and meaningful experiences.

The finding also changes how travellers might interpret Hawaii. It is not simply a beach destination. Instead, it represents a destination where wellness and leisure form part of everyday life.

That distinction matters for travel businesses. Wellness tourism increasingly overlaps with hiking, swimming, surfing, cultural immersion, outdoor dining and slower itineraries. Hawaii can accommodate all of those experiences within one destination.

The Five States Travellers Should Watch

The ranking produces a striking mix of traditional holiday destinations and less obvious choices. Hawaii leads the field, while New Jersey’s second-place finish challenges assumptions about what creates a satisfying destination.

The top-five combination is particularly revealing. Only Hawaii sits in the traditional global holiday conversation, while New Jersey, Utah, Idaho and Maryland bring different travel propositions.

That contrast creates a valuable editorial opportunity. Travellers can use happiness data to discover destinations that conventional tourism rankings sometimes overlook.

New Jersey Delivers the Biggest Surprise

New Jersey’s second-place position may be the ranking’s most intriguing travel story. The Garden State is better known internationally through its proximity to New York City than as a standalone leisure destination.

Yet the study identifies several powerful wellbeing indicators. New Jersey has the lowest adult depression rate in the country and the fifth-highest life-satisfaction rate. It also records the second-lowest divorce rate and among the lowest suicide rates.

Those characteristics create a different interpretation of destination value. A traveller does not necessarily need an isolated tropical island to experience a restorative break.

New Jersey offers beaches, forests, historic towns and food destinations. It also sits beside one of the world’s most influential urban tourism markets.

That makes it especially interesting for combined city-and-coast itineraries. Visitors can pair Manhattan sightseeing with Jersey Shore communities, coastal dining or quieter countryside.

The result could therefore encourage travel marketers to reconsider New Jersey’s role. Rather than selling it solely as an extension of New York, operators can position it as a destination with its own lifestyle appeal.

Utah Turns Active Living Into Travel

Utah ranked third, driven largely by exceptional economic security and an active lifestyle. The state also ranks first nationally for sports participation in WalletHub’s underlying data.

For travel companies, that combination is significant. Utah’s destination proposition naturally aligns with the global growth of active and adventure travel.

The state’s national parks remain its strongest international draw. Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches and Canyonlands provide a powerful foundation for hiking-focused itineraries.

Yet the happiness ranking adds another layer. It suggests that outdoor recreation is not simply a visitor attraction. It forms part of a broader lifestyle environment.

This distinction could strengthen Utah’s appeal among travellers seeking more than sightseeing. Multi-day hiking, cycling, wellness retreats and nature-based road trips can all fit the state’s emerging profile.

Idaho and Maryland Broaden the Picture

Idaho’s fourth-place ranking offers another reminder that happiness does not depend entirely on famous tourism brands. The state performs strongly on economic indicators and income growth.

Idaho also provides a substantial outdoor portfolio. Mountain landscapes, rivers, lakes and wilderness areas support hiking, rafting, skiing and scenic driving.

Maryland, meanwhile, ranked fifth and brings a different proposition. Its strengths include relationships, health and financial stability. Its tourism offer spans Chesapeake Bay communities, historic sites, waterfront destinations and access to the Baltimore-Washington corridor.

Together, these states demonstrate why wellbeing rankings can uncover new travel narratives. A destination does not need global fame to deliver a compelling visitor experience.

Hawaii’s Tourism Numbers Tell Another Story

The happiness ranking becomes more valuable when placed beside Hawaii’s tourism performance. Official state data show that Hawaii welcomed 9.64 million visitors in 2025. That represented a 0.6% decline from 2024.

However, visitor spending moved in the opposite direction. Travellers spent $21.75 billion in 2025, up 5.7% year on year. Spending also exceeded the 2019 figure by 22.8%.

*Approximate comparison based on official 2024 reporting.

The numbers reveal an important tourism trend. Hawaii is attracting slightly fewer visitors while generating substantially more spending.

That may indicate stronger visitor yields, higher prices, longer-value experiences or changing traveller behaviour. It also fits the industry’s broader movement towards quality rather than simply volume.

Maui illustrates the recovery particularly clearly. Visitor arrivals rose 7% in 2025, while spending increased 12.7% to $5.97 billion.

Oahu Faces a Different Tourism Equation

Oahu remains Hawaii’s largest visitor market. It recorded approximately 5.68 million arrivals in 2025, although arrivals fell 2% from the previous year.

Despite the decline, visitor spending reached $9.42 billion, an increase of 5.3%. Average daily visitor spending reached $238.01, up 8.7%.

This creates an important distinction for travellers. Oahu can deliver an intense urban-and-beach holiday, particularly around Honolulu and Waikiki.

However, the island is also actively addressing congestion and destination pressures. Its 2026-2028 Destination Management Action Plan focuses on easing congestion and improving visitor engagement with history, culture and local communities.

Travellers can therefore expect the destination conversation to move beyond simply attracting more people. Responsible visitation and better visitor distribution are becoming increasingly important.

The Data Also Has A Warning

The ranking should not be mistaken for a simple travel league table. Happiness is a measure of resident wellbeing, not visitor satisfaction.

That distinction matters. A state can rank highly for life satisfaction without being the cheapest or easiest holiday destination.

Hawaii illustrates this perfectly. Its visitor economy remains exceptionally valuable, yet the state faces significant pressures linked to housing, infrastructure, environmental protection and visitor concentration.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority’s destination plans increasingly emphasise community wellbeing alongside visitor experiences. On Oahu, only 60% of surveyed residents in 2025 agreed tourism had brought more benefits than problems.

Maui recorded an even more cautious result. Only 45% of residents agreed that tourism had brought more benefits than problems.

For travel companies, this is crucial context. A happy destination needs happy residents as well as satisfied visitors.

What The Ranking Means For Travellers

The findings offer several practical lessons for travellers planning US holidays. First, destination choice can extend beyond famous landmarks.

Visitors seeking relaxation may look towards Hawaii. Adventure travellers can consider Utah or Idaho. Travellers combining beaches with city access could explore New Jersey.

Meanwhile, Maryland and Connecticut provide strong options for history, food, waterfront experiences and shorter regional breaks.

Travellers should also consider seasonality. Hawaii’s tropical climate supports year-round tourism, while northern states offer more dramatic seasonal differences.

Budget matters too. Happiness rankings do not measure holiday affordability directly. Accommodation, flights and car hire can vary sharply between states.

Consequently, travellers should treat the ranking as a destination discovery tool rather than a booking formula.

Tourism Can Learn From Happiness Data

The bigger industry story goes beyond Hawaii. Travel companies increasingly sell experiences linked to wellbeing, nature, social connection and personal fulfilment.

That shift creates opportunities for destinations traditionally marketed around scenery alone. A happiness ranking can provide a fresh narrative around those existing assets.

It also creates opportunities for destination management organisations. They can connect resident wellbeing with visitor strategy instead of treating the two as separate agendas.

Hawaii already provides an example through its island-specific Destination Management Action Plans. These programmes combine visitor experience goals with resource protection and resident quality of life.

That approach could become increasingly relevant elsewhere. The strongest destinations may eventually be those where residents and visitors both benefit from tourism.

How Travellers Can Visit More Responsibly

Hawaii’s popularity makes responsible travel especially important. Visitors can spread spending beyond the busiest resort districts and support locally operated businesses.

They can also respect cultural sites, follow trail restrictions and avoid damaging fragile ecosystems. Booking legal accommodation and observing local access rules can further reduce pressure on communities.

Island choice can also influence the visitor footprint. Oahu has the largest tourism volume, while other islands offer different experiences and tourism pressures.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority’s destination plans encourage better management of hotspots and stronger community engagement.

For travellers, that translates into a straightforward principle: experience more, crowd less and respect the places being visited.

A New Way to Choose US Destinations

The latest ranking offers an unusually useful bridge between lifestyle data and travel planning. Hawaii remains the headline winner, but New Jersey provides the surprise that makes the story compelling.

Utah, Idaho and Maryland further demonstrate that happiness can coexist with very different tourism identities. The result also shows why destination marketing increasingly needs to address wellbeing, community and quality of life.

For Hawaii, the recognition arrives alongside a telling tourism pattern. Visitor numbers softened in 2025, yet spending reached a record-like level relative to recent years.

That combination could define the next phase of US travel. Travellers may increasingly seek places that feel good, not merely places that look good. For tourism boards and operators, that is a powerful proposition with long-term relevance.